Not Applicable
This invention relates in general to anatomical support braces, and in particular to an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace having tensionably tightenable cuffs situated about respective limb structures on either side of a uniting pivoting joint such as a knee joint to thereby provide adjustable limb-conforming arcuate tightening pressure about the respective limb structures and resulting stability to the supported joint.
Both injury and disease can affect the health, well-being, and operability of various joints of the human body. Chief among such joints are the knee and elbow where disease such as osteo-arthritis can curtail normal activity or where an injury such as a sports-related abuse or impact can prevent or severely limit continued activity. One manner of treating such joint conditions and/or preventing or reducing the severity of sports related injuries is to fit the wearer with an appropriate brace whereby a pivotal support member is positioned adjacent the affected joint and held in place usually by cuffs situated around limb structure sites above and below the supported joint. As is apparent, the cuffs are responsible for stabilizing the support member and therefore must be well secured to their associated limbs. To accomplish such securement, previous designs offered either soft cuffs which afforded no stability, or rigid custom-made cuffs, which are non-adjustable. Further, present cuffs are typically provided with one or more straps that are tightened around each limb structure and retained by buckles, hook-and-loop connections, or the like while the cuff itself generally is substantially permanently preformed to a particular arcuate radius. As is evident, however, such present-day construction is generally deficient in that cuff tightening, and therefore brace stabilization, is limited by the strength of the user in manipulating the straps, buckles, etc., as well as in the flexibility and tensionability of the cuff structure itself. In view of these limitations, it is apparent that a need is present for an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace wherein the tightness of cuffs can be adjusted for effective brace engagement. Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an anatomical brace where limb-structure embracing cuffs thereof are arcuately adjustable for tightenable configuration to adjacent limb structures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an anatomical brace where arcuate adjustment configurations of the cuffs are maintained upon brace removal.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an anatomical brace where cuff adjustment of arcuate configurations can be accomplished after brace placement on the involved limb.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.
The present invention is an exteriorly positionable anatomical brace for stabilizing a uniting pivoting joint such as a knee joint disposed between a first and second limb structure of a living being. The brace comprises an upper frame member and a lower frame member joined together by a pivoting joint member, with each such frame member having secured thereon a respective cuff for encompassing a portion of each limb structure above and below the joint. Retention of the brace in place at the joint site is preferably accomplished with respective upper and lower securement members each wrapping around a respective limb structure in alignment with and not encompassed by the cuff. Each cuff is an arcuate, tensionable, flexibly-bendable wall structure, which non-limitedly can be constructed of a polymer plastic material, having integral therewith at least one elongate tensioner in arcuately related juxtaposition with the cuff such that shortening the tensioner (like tendons in the hand, causes a bending of the tensioner which also bends the cuff. The tensioner includes an exteriorly accessible adjuster for incrementally drawing the lateral end of the tensioner medially for arcuately tightening the cuff or, oppositely, for incrementally releasing the lateral end and arcuately loosening the cuff. Once set, the adjuster maintains the chosen arcuate configuration when the brace is removed, thereby assuring a proper fit without repeated adjustment each time the brace is donned. Such cuff adjustability coupled with respective securement members respectively retains each cuff in place to provide superior and maximized anchored brace stability. In addition, thereafter the cuff may be easily re-adjusted for comfort and/or change in anatomic size.